U.S. patent number 6,361,851 [Application Number 09/406,492] was granted by the patent office on 2002-03-26 for composite roofing shingle.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Building Materials Investment Corporation. Invention is credited to William R. Carroll, Frederick W. Sieling.
United States Patent |
6,361,851 |
Sieling , et al. |
March 26, 2002 |
Composite roofing shingle
Abstract
A composite roofing shingle coated with weather resistant
granules on its exposed surface which comprises (a) a top member
having an upper undivided headlap section and a lower butt section
comprising spaced tabs depending from said headlap and (b) a bottom
backer member attached to the under surface and coterminal with the
length of said headlap section, said backer member being exposable
in the spaces between said tabs, said tabs carrying a horizontal
band area of a given hue which contrasts with that of the remaining
portion of the tab and which is painted or printed across the
bottom margin of the tab to provide a band having a relatively
smooth surface, said backer member having a surface texture
distinguishable from the texture of the color band and having
weather resistant granules embedded on its exposed surface; which
granules are of a contrasting color with respect to the unpainted
portions of the tabs.
Inventors: |
Sieling; Frederick W. (Bound
Brook, NJ), Carroll; William R. (Sussex, NJ) |
Assignee: |
Building Materials Investment
Corporation (Wilmington, DE)
|
Family
ID: |
26804717 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/406,492 |
Filed: |
September 27, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/144; 428/141;
52/559; D25/139; 52/558; 428/143; 428/194; 52/557; 428/142 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04D
1/26 (20130101); B32B 3/02 (20130101); Y10T
428/24364 (20150115); Y10T 428/2438 (20150115); Y10T
428/24793 (20150115); Y10T 428/24372 (20150115); E04D
2001/005 (20130101); Y10T 428/24355 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B32B
3/02 (20060101); E04D 1/26 (20060101); E04D
1/00 (20060101); B32B 007/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;428/141,142,143,144,192,194,195 ;52/518,557,558,559 ;D25/139 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Copenheaver; Blaine
Assistant Examiner: Paulraj; Christopher
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Maue; Marilyn J. Davis; William J.
Katz; Walter
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of Provisional U.S.
Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/107,372, filed Nov. 6, 1998 in the
names of Frederick W. Sieling and William R. Carroll.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a composite roofing shingle unit having a weather resistant
granular coating on weather exposable areas of its surface and
comprising (a) a top member containing an upper undivided headlap
section and spaced tabs in a lower butt section depending from said
headlap and (b) a backer member attached to the under surface of
said headlap and exposable in the spaces between said tabs, the
improvement which comprises: tabs having a substantially smooth
band of color painted horizontally across the tab bottom margin,
said band of a color being distinguishable from the color of the
remaining tab portion and having a width between about 1/8.sup.th
and about 1/4.sup.th the height of said tab and an unpainted backer
member of a distinguishable texture so as to provide a visually
distinguishable difference texture between the color band of the
tabs and the exposable areas of said backer member.
2. The composite roofing shingle of claim 1 wherein the difference
in texture between the exposed areas of said backer and the color
bands of said tabs is emphasized by a difference in the granule
deposits between the top and backer members.
3. The composite roofing shingle of claim 2 wherein said difference
in texture is emphasized by a difference in the size and/or shape
of said granules.
4. The composite roofing shingle of claim 2 wherein said difference
in texture is emphasized by a difference in the density of the
granule deposits.
5. The composite roofing shingle of claim 1 wherein the difference
in texture between said color band and the exposable areas of said
backer is achieved by the difference in granule covered surfaces
between the smooth painted surface of said color bands and the
coarser unpainted surface of the backer member.
6. The composite roofing shingle of claim 1 wherein the hue of the
backer is of the same color as the color band of said tabs but of a
lighter or darker hue than the remaining unpainted portion of said
tabs.
7. The composite roofing shingle of claim 6 wherein the hue of the
backer is of a color different from the color of said color
bands.
8. The roofing shingle of claim 1 wherein said tabs are of uniform
shape.
9. The roofing shingle of claim 1 wherein said tabs are of
alternatingly different shape.
10. The roofing shingle of one of claims 8 or 9 wherein said tabs
are uniformly spaced one from the other.
11. The roofing shingle of claim 10 wherein the spacing between the
tabs is between about 1 and about 5% the breadth of the tab.
12. The roofing shingle of claim 1 wherein the exposed surface of
said backer forms a uniform margin at the sides and corners of each
tab.
13. The roofing shingle of claim 12 wherein the exposed surface of
said backer forms a uniform margin around the free edges of all
tabs.
14. The roofing shingle of claim 1 wherein a color band of equal
width and color is painted across the bottom horizontal boundary of
each tab.
15. The roofing shingle of claim 1 wherein at least two neighboring
tabs have an outer crimped corner and a facing right angled
corner.
16. The roofing shingle of claim 15 wherein said band of color is
the same color of the backer member.
17. The roofing shingle of claim 15 wherein said band of color is
in contrast with the color of the backer member.
18. The roofing shingle of claim 15 wherein the leading and
trailing edges of the butt portion are inset from the headlap
portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Roofing shingles are often divided into two main groups: strip
shingles and composite or laminated shingles. Although both are
surface coated with weather resistant granules, strip shingles
having a single thickness generally do not provide the durability
and weatherability as those composed of two or more layers. Also
the single layered strip shingle has a flat appearance which is not
as aesthetically pleasing as double or triple layered laminated
shingles. Research directed to tabbed laminates has been concerned
with simulating the appearance of wood shake or slate roof
coverings without incurring their accompanying deficits such as
high cost, difficulty of proper installation, breakage and load
weight which often requires reinforcement of a roof understructure.
Solutions have included color variations to impart a perception of
shadows, which affect is generally achieved by deposition of
granules having darker or lighter contrasting colors between tabs
and restricted areas of a backer strip. These methods have provided
only partial improvement in the perception of shadows resulting
from shingle bulk and irregularly shaped tabs as perceived viewed
in the more expensive counterparts.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to improve the
desired simulation in an economical and commercially feasible
manner.
Another object is to more closely approach the appearance of wood
shake or slate roof coverings.
Still another object is to provide an aesthetically improved
roofing shingle achieved by a simplified manufacturing process.
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from
the following description and disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a
laminated roofing shingle having tabs and backer strip of
distinguishable colors or color intensities and distinguishable
textures in exposed areas normally associated with shadowing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of the invention and the
advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which FIGS. 1 through 8 inclusive are presented in top plan
view.
FIG. 1 is a laminated shingle incorporating one embodiment of the
present invention wherein the tabs are of irregular and alternating
shape and the backer bottom edge is flush with that of the
tabs.
FIG. 2 is a view of the top member of the shingle of FIG. 1 before
lamination to the backer member shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 4 is a view of a second embodiment of the shingle wherein the
tabs are of irregular length and are rectangular in shape.
FIG. 5 represents the top member of the FIG. 4 shingle before
lamination to backer member as illustrated in FIG. 6 which backer
is coextensive with the bottom boundaries of the tabs.
FIG. 7 shows another embodiment wherein all tabs are uniformly
shaped and have crimped bottom corners and wherein the bottom
margin of the backer is coextensive with the bottom boundaries of
the tabs and is of a hue or color substantially the same or
different from that of the color bands of the tabs.
FIG. 8 illustrates still another embodiment wherein all tabs are
uniformly shaped and have rounded bottom corners and wherein the
bottom margin of the backer member extends below the bottom edge of
the tabs.
FIG. 9 is an elevated side view of FIGS. 1, 4 and 7 wherein the
bottom margin of the backer member is coextensive with the bottom
edges of the tabs and FIG. 10 is an elevated side view of FIG. 8
wherein the backer member extends below the bottom edges of the
tabs.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The laminated or composite shingles of this invention are generally
produced as rectangular units of 2 to 8 spaced tabs which depend
from an undivided headlap section of a top sheet or top member, the
later being attached on its under surface to a backer member which
is exposable in the spaces between, i.e. at the sides of the tabs
and optionally below the tab bottom margins. The spacing between
the tabs can be between about 1/16th and about 1 inch commensurate
with the size of the tabs and the height and size of the roofing
area. Most often tab spacing between about 1 and about 5% the
breadth of the tab is recommended. The tabs themselves can be of
any conventional regular or irregular size and/or shape and may be
separated by regular or irregular spacing. However, the preferred
shingle contains a top member having a butt portion containing 4 to
6 uniformly spaced tabs wherein at least two tabs are of identical
shape and wherein the butt portion is indented from the leading and
trailing edges of the headlap section by about 1/2 the area of the
spacing between the tabs.
In the present shingle, the bottom boundary of the backer member
may also be coterminal with the bottom edges of the tabs or the
backer can be positioned to extend below the bottom edges of the
tabs by a margin preferably equal to the breadth of the tab
spacing. Although the backer may be an undivided rectangular strip,
for a particularly aesthetically pleasing appearance, the bottom
margin of the backer member duplicates the lower contour of tabs
having non-right angled bottom corners, thus the backer may be
notched, cerenate or dentate at corresponding areas of tabs having
like shape. At least the exposable area, desirably the entire area,
of the backer member is surfaced with weather resistant or colored
granules to present a perceivably roughened surface.
The lower end portions of the tabs carry a color band which is
painted or imprinted horizontally across the tab bottom margin to
provide a contrasting surface finish or texture. The width of the
color band can vary from about 1/8th to about 1/4th the height of
the tab, and is preferably a band of color, preferably having an
unvaried width of from about 0.5 to about 1 inch; although the
width can be varied slightly to provide a perception of
irregularity. The basic color of the color band can be the same as
that of the exposed surface of the backer or it can be a lighter or
darker shade or hue; or the color of the band can be distinctly
different to simulate the perception of bulk, highlight, shadow or
any other aesthetic affect achievable by contrast with the exposed
areas of the backer. Additionally, one or more of the bands
themselves can be varied in hue for a certain desired affect. The
dye of the color selected for coloring matter in both the backer
granules and that of the paint or print of the color band should be
resistant to UV light exposure, temperature fluctuations and
humidity and the color band should present a smooth and moisture
impervious surface; although weather resistant granules are also
applied over the entire exposable surface of the top member.
The texture contrast between the backer and the color band of the
tabs can be accentuated by varying the consistency of the weather
resistant top coating, e.g. the density and/or size of granule
deposition on either of these members. Since the painted or
imprinted treated area of the tabs itself presents a relatively
smoother surface than other untreated areas, it differs in
roughness or texture from the surface of the backer after granule
deposition.
The preferred embodiments and advantages of the present invention
can also be understood by reference to FIGS. 1 through 10 of the
drawings, like numerals being used for like and corresponding
parts.
In FIG. 1, top member 2 of laminated shingle 1, having undivided
headlap section 17 and butt section 15 depending from 17 contains
regularly spaced tabs 3-8 of irregular and alternating shape, said
tabs having corners which are both crimped or having one crimped
and one right angled corner. The lower boundaries of tabs 3-8 are
each painted with color bands 9-14 of uniform width and hue. Backer
member 16 which is laminated to the under surface of headlap 15 in
top member 2, is undivided at the area corresponding to the spaces
between the tabs but is crimped at its lower boundary to correspond
with the crimped tab edges and extends from the crimped side
corners of the tabs by a margin about equal to the spacing between
the tabs. The bottom boundary of backer member 16 is coterminal
with that of tabs 3-8; however, it is to be understood that the
backer member can be extended below the tabs, if desired. Backer 16
is surfaced with weather resistant granules 18 of a hue
distinguishable or indistinguishable from that of color bands 9-14
but distinguishable from the hue or color of the untreated portion
of the tabs above color bands 9-14. As shown, the surface granules
on backer 16 are of a visibly coarser grain than the granules 20 on
the surface of top member 2 to emphasize texture differences;
although such emphasis is optional.
FIG. 2 shows granule coated detached top member 2 with tabs 3-8 and
color bands 9-14 on tabs 3-8 and FIG. 3 shows detached backer
member 16 of FIG. 1. In the above drawings, color bands 9-14 can be
lighter, darker or of the same color as the exposed surface of the
backer member 16.
FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the composite shingle
wherein color banded tabs 3-8 of top member 2 are of different
lengths as indicated more specifically in detached top member 2
shown by FIG. 5. FIG. 6 illustrates detached backer member 16
before attachment to top member 2 in the embodiment of FIG. 4.
Another embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 7 wherein all of the
bottom corners of tabs 3-8 depending from headlap section 17 of top
member 2 are uniformly crimped. Conversely, in FIG. 8, all of tabs
3-8 have crenated ends and similarly crenated backer 16 extends
below the bottom edges of tabs 3-8, as well as at the side edges of
the tabs, to form a uniform margin of backer color and width around
the free edges of each tab.
The side view of composite shingles shown in FIGS. 1 through 7 is
described by FIG. 9 wherein weather resistant granules 20 of top
member 2 covering tab 8 and color band 14 and coarser granules 18
of backer member 16 are shown. FIG. 10 illustrates the side view of
the shingle of FIG. 8 with crenated tabs 3-8 and crenated color
bands 9-14 of top member 2 joined to similarly crenated backer
member 16. Although the granules on the backer in FIGS. 2-9 are
shown to be coarser than those of top member 2, it is to be
understood the size and/or density of granules on these members can
be reversed to emphasize a difference in coarseness and texture
between the surfaces of the top member and the backer member.
Another means of achieving texture emphasis can be obtained by
varying the density of granule deposits on members 2 and 16. In any
case a difference in texture between the painted band area of the
tabs and the backer member is always discernable since the painted
area presents a smoother surface than any unpainted area.
From the above disclosure it will become apparent that many
variations and modifications of the above figures can be made
without departing from the scope of this invention. For example,
the hue in each color band as well as the bands themselves can be
varied. Similarly the hue of the backer can be varied provided that
the difference in hue between the painted areas and the unpainted
tab area is maintained. These and other modifications will be
become apparent from the above disclosure.
* * * * *